Gaudet Middle School, Middletown, Rhode Island
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"The Mission of the Joseph H. Gaudet Middle School, a partnership in developing positive attitudes of students, staff and parents, is to create a nurturing, safe, learner-centered, educational community in which each student will have equal opportunity to become responsible, respectful, reflective, knowledgeable, literate, and successful."



INTRODUCTION:
Middletown lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport, on Aquidneck Island. Aquidneck Island consist of three main towns, which include several different public and private schools. The main public schooling for Middle school on Aquidneck Island consist of Gaudet (Middletown), Portsmouth Middle school (Portsmouth), and Thompson Middle School (Newport).Gaudet (located in Middletown) lies right in the middle of the three towns on Aquidneck. According to the United States Census Bureau, the population of the town lies just around 16,150 people. Gaudet Middle School, ranges from sixth grade to eighth grade. Most of the individuals in the town are predominately white, as well as most families are making more than the average family in Rhode Island. The children who attend Gaudet Middle School do academically well compared to others in Rhode Island.



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COMMUNITY BACKGROUND:Gaudet Middle School is located on 1113 Aquidneck Avenue. Open from 7:45 am.-2:10 p.m. The school ranges from grades fifth to eighth. Middletown in general is a great place to send a child for their education practices. The town itself is fairly quiet, and the school resides in a great neighborhood.

Income/Poverty:

Middletown
Rhode Island
US
Median household income
$70,766.00
$56,102.00
$53,046.00
Median family income
$83,868.00
$72,872.00
$64,585.00
Per capita income
$35,088.00
$30,005.00
$28,051.00
All families below poverty level
6.0%
9.2%
10.9%
All people below poverty level
8.1%
13.2%
14.9%

  • The chart shows that the residents in Middletown annually make more than most people in the state of Rhode Island per year. The average amount in Rhode Island make annually $56,102 median household income. Middletown is just above that income coming in at $70,766. The poverty level of Middletown compared to Rhode Island and the United States is fairly close. However, Middletown falls below the poverty lines comparing the three.

Census Based Indicators:

Middletown
Rhode Island
Child population
3,652
223,956
Children in single-parent families
21%
31%
Children living in families below the federal poverty threshold
13.0%
18.4%
Children living in grandparent headed households
5%
6%
* This chart shows the comparison between Middletown and the entire state of Rhode Island. Middletown takes up only 3,652 of the number of children residing in Rhode Island. The amount of children living in single parent households is very close. Theres only a 10% difference in how many children are living in single parent households in Middletown compared to Rhode Island generally. The amount of children loving with their grandparents is even closer, the ratio is 5:6 with Middletown having 1% less children being raised by their grandparents. Race/Ethnicity:

Middletown
Rhode Island
US
White
87.2%
81.4%
72.4%
Black/African American
4.5%
5.7%
12.6%
Asian
3.0%
2.9%
4.8%
Hispanic or Latino
4.7%
12.4%
16.3%
American Indian & Alaska native
0.3%
0.6%
0.9%
* This chart shows the comparisons of race and ethnicity across Rhode Island and the United States. Middletown and Rhode Island are close when it comes to racial ethnicities. Middletown has more white people than Rhode Island and the US. However, Middletown has the least amount of African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and American Indian and Alaska natives compared to RI and the US.


Health:

Middletown
Rhode Island
Children under 19 receiving medical attention
854
92,701
Births to mothers with less than a high school diploma
5%
16%
* The amount of children under the age of 19 is 854 out of the 92,701. Also the percentage of births to mothers with less than a high school diploma are much lower than that of the entire state. The ratio is 5:16. With Rhode Island in the lead.
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Safety:

Middletown
Rhode Island
Child abuse/neglect rate per 1,000 children
11.6%
13.3%
* The amount of child abuse/neglect rate per 1,000 children is close with a 11.6:13.3 percentage ratio. Rhode Island in a whole has more neglect/abuse than that of Middletown.

NECAP:

NECAP Assessments 2010-11
State
Middletown
Barrington
Central Falls
6th grade math
59%
61%
82%
26%
6th grade reading
72%
79%
89%
35%
7th grade math
59%
66%
84%
19%
7th grade reading
69%
67%
91%
32%
8th grade math
57%
67%
90%
15%
8th grade reading
74%
77%
95%
39%
8th grade writing
56%
57%
79%
13%
8th grade science
30%
35%
71%
8%
* This chart is representing NECAP scores, and comparing them to other cities and the state. In this particular chart I’m comparing my schools location (Gaudet, Middletown) to that of Barrington, Central Falls, and the entire state. Middletown falls below Barrington on NECAP assessments in all subjects. However, Middletown scores significantly better than Central Falls and the entire state on the spectrum.
Student Characteristics:

Student Characteristics
State
Middletown
Barrington
Central Falls
Student eligibility for subsidized lunch
47%
33%
6%
84%
Students receiving ESL/Bilingual Edu services
6%
4%
<1%
14%
Students receiving special education services
15%
16%
10%
23%
* Central Falls has the highest amount of students eligible for subsidized lunches. Barrington is the lowest, Middletown lies between the state and Central Falls.
Attendance/ Incidents of Suspension:


State
Middletown
Barrinton
Central Falls
Attendance rate Middle Schools
94%
95%
96%
92%
Chronic Absenteeism
15%
10%
10%
27%
Number of suspensions incidents in Middle School
1,1537
124
32
358
* This chart states the attendance and number of incidents of suspension. Across the border, Middletown, Barrington, Central Falls, and the state are similarly close. However, the number of suspensions in Middletown is the lowest compared to Barrington, Rhode Island, and Central Falls.

Conclusion: * Gaudet Middle School does significantly better than a lot of other middle schools in Rhode Island. Gaudet scores better than Central Falls, and the state when it comes to state standardized testing. Gaudet is also mainly a white school, the comparison of whites to children of an ethnic background. he students of Middletown also are raised in better household / living environments than a lot of other children, They have parents that make a lot more money, as well as parents who have finished school. Even though Gaudet has many improvements compared to the state and Central Falls, they still fall short below Barrington. The demographics of Barrington are better than that of Middletown, Central Falls, and the state. I believe some of the reasoning why my school does better than other schools is because of the demographics of the town. Children at Gaudet are more likely to achieve because they have more support than a lot of other children in Rhode Island. A lot of these kids have parents who make sure their in school all the time, that they have everything they need, as well as the needs to fund all of their needs.
References:
Joseph H. Gaudet Middle School and Learning Academy (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ri.net/middletown/gaudet/

RI Kids Count. (2010-2013). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Ind5.pdf

RI Kids Count. (2010-2013). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/